Government and Politics

Majority Democrats in the Washington Legislature on Tuesday narrowly beat back a third attempt to squelch a new tax they proposed on gasoline and diesel exported to neighboring states from Washington refineries.The 6 cents per gallon tax would support a multibillion dollar transportation infrastructure package. The tax proposal has stoked bipartisan anger and threats of retaliation in recent days from politicians in Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. Drivers there would pay more at the pump, but can’t vote on the Washington state lawmakers who seem determined to impose the “exported fuel tax” to pay for projects back home.

As states from Oregon to New York announce plans to end mask mandates, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday announced that he’s lifting outdoor masking requirements and plans to announce next week a date when the mask mandate for public indoor spaces and schools will be lifted.

Democrats in charge of the Washington Legislature are proposing a new tax on gasoline and diesel fuel destined for Oregon, Idaho and Alaska to partially pay for a cornucopia of highway, transit, rail, bike trail and ferry construction across Washington state. The "exported fuel tax" was included in a transportation spending and revenue package unveiled Tuesday in Olympia.

Washington state senators are trying a new gambit to stop the twice-yearly ritual of changing our clocks from standard time to daylight time and back again. A previous effort to move the whole West Coast onto permanent daylight saving time failed to win requisite congressional support. So now, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers is pushing for Pacific standard time to be observed year-round.

Washington state workers and perhaps many others could get an extra day off in honor of women getting the right to vote. That idea for a Women's Suffrage Day holiday got a friendly reception on the opening day of Washington's 2022 legislative session.

Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen has died. His death comes after the Whatcom County Republican was hospitalized last month following a COVID-19 diagnosis while in El Salvador.

There are no statewide initiative measures on the ballot this November in Oregon and Washington state. That’s a change from usual, but voters around the region are casting ballots on a variety of newsworthy local initiatives.

The days are quickly ticking down to next Monday's deadline when most Oregon and Washington teachers, health care workers and public employees need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.Elected officials especially in more conservative swaths of the Pacific Northwest remain fearful of a "mass exodus" of firefighters and health care professionals. They're trying different avenues to get Governors Brown and Inslee to back off the vaccination deadline. But there are no signs the governors are open to delays.

The Washington State Patrol turned 100 this year. To this day it’s still a mostly white, male organization. Over the years it’s struggled to diversify. But now one part of the hiring process is getting fresh scrutiny: the psychological review.

Following the lead of several other states, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday issued a requirement that state employees along with private health care and long-term care workers get the COVID-19 vaccine or face termination from their jobs.